One of the joys of serving as interim dean of the College of Health and Human Services is the opportunity to meet so many friends of the College. Most of my weekends this fall have been spent getting to know alumni and supporters of the College both here in Athens and around the state of Ohio.

Recently, I had the opportunity to talk with another group with considerable interest in the College of Health and Human Services — parents of many of our new freshmen. We hosted a tailgate party in Grover Center before the OU-Kent State football game on Parents Weekend and I was able to talk with several dozen parents who were on campus visiting with their children.  Without exception, I heard from the parents and their children about how pleased they are with majors and programs in our College.

Many of the freshmen have already begun to form relationships with faculty in their program areas and are very excited about what they are studying. Parents also conveyed a great deal of excitement over their their sons’ and daughters’ education and expressed satisfaction with the quality of our programs. Having spent Homecoming Weekend with alumni and Parents Weekend with students’ families, I’ve gained a new appreciation for the work that we do and how much it impacts our students.

As you will see in this issue of Skylights, there are many exciting things going on in the College.  These are the sort of activities that are reflected in the positive comments I hear from alumni and friends week after week. I hope you will take a few minutes to read through our online newsletter and learn more about what we are up to.

— Randy Leite